A Bully Goes To Auschwitz …

From early 1942 until late 1945, some 1.1 million people were exterminated, killed, at Auschwitz, one of the most infamous concentration/extermination camps of Adolph Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Perhaps Higgins, only 56 years old and a freshman member of the House of Representatives, did not realize the significance of Auschwitz. Auschwitz was ‘liberated’ some 16 years and 8 months before Mr. Higgins was even born, so he can be forgiven for his faux pas, right? WRONG! Higgins, like the rest of us, no doubt had parents who remembered WWII and the Holocaust. Higgins went to school where he learned of the atrocities committed against Jews at places like Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, and Dachau. Higgins either has a moral compass or he does not. I think he does not.

Representative Higgins was shooting an advertisement inside the hallowed walls of Auschwitz. An advertisement for a stronger U.S. military. An advertisement for Donald Trump’s ignorant policies. Inside a hallowed, sacred, burial ground. To politicize the Holocaust, to politicize the most relevant symbol of the 6 million Jews who died under Hitler … it is wrong. Most of us understand it is wrong. Clay Higgins does not understand the lessons of history.

Higgins is not new to controversy. On 04 June, he made the following statement:

“The free world… all of Christendom… is at war with Islamic horror. Not one penny of American treasure should be granted to any nation who harbors these heathen animals. Not a single radicalized Islamic suspect should be granted any measure of quarter. Their intended entry to the American homeland should be summarily denied. Every conceivable measure should be engaged to hunt them down. Hunt them, identify them, and kill them. Kill them all. For the sake of all that is good and righteous. Kill them all.” – Captain Clay Higgins

Higgins recorded five minutes of video, including some from areas of the site where Jews were gassed and their bodies burned. Higgins, an Army veteran and former police officer, briefly explains in the video how the victims were killed. “This is why homeland security must be squared away, why our military must be invincible,” Higgins says, with some of the ovens in the background. I, for one, am sickened.

Mr. Higgins, you have crossed a line of respectability and you do not deserve to represent the people of your state in Congress. To the people of Louisiana: I sincerely hope your morals, your values, and your conscience will not allow you to return this abomination of a ‘man’ to Congress in the next elections, November 6th, 2018. If you do, then you will get exactly what you deserve.

Officials at the official memorial and museum called out Mr. Higgins: “Everyone has the right to personal reflections. However, inside a former gas chamber, there should be mournful silence. It’s not a stage.”

Amid the outrage, Mr. Higgins did apologize, saying, “My intent was to offer a reverent homage to those who were murdered in Auschwitz and to remind the world that evil exists, that free nations must remember, and stand strong. However, my message has caused pain to some whom I love and respect. For that, my own heart feels sorrow. Out of respect to any who may feel that my video posting was wrong or caused pain, I have retracted my video.”

Again, Mr. Higgins is not a stranger to controversy. Prior to running for the House seat, Higgins served as a reserve officer for the Opelousas Police Department for four years until being forced to resign or accept disciplinary action for his striking of a handcuffed suspect. In 2014 he became the Public Information Officer for St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office. As public information officer, Higgins made videos for Crime Stoppers. His videos went viral, and he was referred to as the “Cajun John Wayne”. One of his videos was featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2015 He resigned from the St. Landry Parish Sherriff’s Office in February 2016 because of the public outcry against one of his videos. I think by now it is obvious that this ‘man’ has no respect for his fellow human beings.

Mr. Higgins, We The People of the United States of America do NOT accept your apology. What you did, your poor taste and judgement, are not erased with a simple, “I’m sorry”. It is obvious to me that you have no humanity, no compassion, and no sincere empathy. You do not belong in Congress. Like the supposed leader of this sinking ship we call America, you are a bully, and you are not the man of honesty and integrity that we would expect to see on Capitol Hill.

The Republicans may applaud the Donald Trumps and the Clay Higgins’ of the world, for they are like-minded souls who have no compunction, no compassion, and no concern for their fellow man. I will shine a spotlight on these bullies wherever and whenever their path crosses mine.

unbelievable! Is this guy and his entourage without honour, common sense, common decency. Now I really have heard the worst that can come from US politicians.
Luckily I have the voice of sanity in you Jill.
Hugs and kisses ❤
xoxoxoxo

He would have done well to speak at a war memorial to the military dead. The Nazi Death camps are places where you can only hang your head in horror: Jews, Gypsies, Russians, Gays, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the list goes on.
I could write a lot more on the whole subject of the persecution of the Jewish race throughout Europe from the 10th century onwards but I don’t want to turn your post into a battle ground Jill.
Going back to the fellow in question he seems to be another symptom of the malaise.
Take care Jill.
Fools come in all shapes and sizes; they always have, trouble is, this is one of these eras where they have official blessing.

I fully agree … and feel free to say anything on my posts, Roger … I promote free speech and a healthy exchange of ideas here! Yes, it seems that state-sanctioned idiocy is in vogue these days. I am no longer asking ‘what the heck is wrong with people?’ As you said, Nazi death camps are a place to hang one’s head in horror, in shame at the human race, and to be silent. Thanks for your input, my friend!

It never goes away Jill.
The tragedy is that all sides of the political spectrum indulge in it, and they are just too blinded by their own prejudices to see the big, historical picture.
Personally I am horrified that anti-Semitism is still on the agenda. I am furious that fools are putting up nooses at African American locations. I am disgusted that some folk think it’s fine to abuse one racial group for some faux-political reason. I am blistering mad that sexual degradation in all forms is taking place.
Currently I am keeping myself under control, because it is what one should do, although one day, just one day I might shame myself again on WP and really let rip.
Oh, let’s just keep on keeping on shall we?
Take care Jill

Yes, all forms of bigotry are, after child and animal abuse, my #1 pet peeve. I cannot understand the concept that the colour of one’s skin, or one’s religion, one’s heritage, culture, or one’s choice of whom to love should cause one to be ranked as somehow inferior. What next? Let’s persecute Jill for having short fingernails, or Roger for being a Welshman. While I am far from perfect, I recognize my imperfections, and yes, I DO sometimes judge people, but not based on superficial criteria. If I judge, it is based on behaviour. For example, if my neighbor beats their child, I will likely judge them as being cruel and undeserving of my friendship. That’s probably wrong too, because maybe they beat their child because they are unemployed and stressed and know not where to turn, and then the said child dropped a bottle of Worcestershire sauce and it broke and went all over the floor. Okay, rotten example, but … where was I going with this thought? Mind bounce again … Sigh. Anyway … if I had to narrow my scope to a single topic on which to opine, it would be bigotry … too fribbin’ much of it in the world today.

Yes, I agree with your three criteria, but … what do you mean that you are a prime example? You have all three of those in triple doses!!! You’re a damn fine man, Roger … I enjoy your sincerity, and I absolutely love your sense of humour!

Thank you so much Jill, but I have an O’Brien side (here I go with the 1984 references again!) which I try to keep locked up and buried under lighter thoughts, sane reflections and wackiness🙃🙃 (I have this multi-coloured pogo stick with an old fashioned beep-beep car horn- well in My World I do🙃🙃)

Sigh … yeah, I get that … I think most of us have such a side, but we also … well, most of us … know to keep it under lock and key. A multi-coloured pogo stick with a beep-beep horn! Charming!!! Not only mind bounce, but Roger-bounce! 😀

Sure, if only Roger doesn’t fall off the bloomin’ pogo stick and bust his keister! Another UK friend, Mary (memoirsofahusk) commented on one of my posts that it was just too depressing and she was going back to her ducklings and flowers. I told her to take a rainbow-coloured pogo stick along for added pleasure! 🙂 I seem to have that image planted firmly in my mind now! 🙂

Surely, the equivalent of homeland security? In pre-war and during. In Germany this was how people were rounded up, for deportment to the camps? Yes, the Jews were targeted. As were Communists, Homosexuals, Romanies and other groups deemed detrimental to the society. The Zionists like to focus on the Jews of Europe, for it helps their agenda today.

There were many Jewish people in Adolph’s administration. Both civilian and military. The ordinary Jews were targeted, for a number of reasons. Many high-ranking Jews were in the German ranks, then. Yet, they were given a free pass.

Ashkenazi jews were the predominate culture of jews in Europe. Sephardic jews settled around the Mediterranean mainly in Spain. The Iberian peninsula. Where until expulsion in late 15c. They lived comparatively peacefully with the Moorish people. Then there are the Mizrahi jews of Middle East. Those targeted in Europe were being aided by Mr. Hitler, or Shicklgruber? Whichever? To migrate to Palestine pre-war.

Ever wondered why Ashkenazi contains the word nazi? Yes, I’ve seen the way it was derived from Nationalist Social party. Yet never been convinced about the true nature of that? Especially since the way Palestinians are being treated by the Israelis today. The Israelis bleat on about how they were treated during WW2 yet, they seem to think it’s okay to do the same to the inhabitants of their area, now. Personally, I have less sympathy for their cause, given the way they are waging wars on their neighbours.

You have enlightened me on a few things, including the fact that there were a number of Jews in Hitler’s administration. And even though I am half-Jewish myself, I was not completely aware of the differences between Ashkenazi, Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews. Thank you for the information! And to the point, I am disgusted with Netanyahu’s treatment of the Palestinians … as I told another reader earlier, two wrongs cannot ever make a right, and Netanyahu is, while not to the same extent as Hitler, an abomination. Still, I do feel that the extermination camps are not a place to bring political conflict, but should be respected and those that died there, whether Jew, Romany, or just what was then considered traitor, should be given respect. Cheers, Jamie, and thank you for the information! This is my favourite part of the WordPress community … the exchange of ideas and learning from one another!

Thank you very much for the re-blog and for all your support! No, if he actually did not realize the error of his ways, then it just proves that he has no conscience. But I believe he did it for the shock value, which seems to be a big thing with republicans these days. Sigh. Hugs!!!

Dear Jill,
Mr. Higgins shouldn’t be anywhere near any position having to do with service.The bullies, like cockroaches appear to be coming out of the woodwork of the republican party. If the republicans continue to turn a blind eye to these flawed characters, they will continue to lose moderates like myself.
Hugs, Gronda

You are so right that they appear to be coming out of the woodwork. But then, with people like Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions at the head of the Justice Department, I guess there isn’t much danger of them paying a high price for their cruelty. Donald Trump has set the tone for the nation, and that tone says that each person should do whatever they want in order to seek their own pleasure, and not worry about other people. I ponder this far too much these days, but I still cannot understand what happened to peoples’ consciences. I still have one, you still have one, as do our other blogging friends, but far too many are of the “Me First” attitude. Sigh.
Hugs!!!

Today, Israel has erected its own (very Nazi-style) concentration camp in Gaza with the blessing of the United States, which has erected its own in Guantanamo. For a true justice, the victims of the past have to lend their voices to the victims of the present, otherwise history would be nothing more than a sterile story, propaganda at the service of the executioners of the present.

Gerald Kaufman, a dignified and just voice, compared to the actions of Israeli troops in Gaza to the Nazis who forced their family to flee Poland:

Thank you so much for sharing this video … very interesting, and very true. I agree with what you say … PM Netanyahu is inflexible and our government is supporting him. I am not proud of that, and certainly two wrongs can never make a right. Thank YOU for your thoughtful comments … you made me step back and think … 🙂 And hugs back to you, my friend!